Blackboard



T. MELLOR.

BLACKBOARD.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 26. 1920.

Patented June 29, 1920.

2 SHEETSSHEET I.

AHY

T. MELLOR. BLACKBOARD.

APPLICATION FILED APR.26. I920.

1,344,920. Pate tedJune 29,1920.

' 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT 1 OFFICE...

.TOM MELLOR, or BRANDON, MANITOBA, CANADA.

BLACKBOARD.

Specification of Letters Patent. Pate ted J 29 1920 Application filed April 26, 1920. Serial No. 376,767.

will notreflect light directly into the eyes of-the pupils or observers thereby allowing any material written on the blackboard to be plainly visible to all observers.

A further object of the invention is to provide a pivotally suspended counterbalanced blackboard which can be readilyad justed by hand manipulation and which can be easily set in any inclined position depending on the conditions existing. I

A further object is to arrange the parts so that it can be readily installed on a wall.

-With the above more important objects in view the invention consists essentially in a plurality of brackets permanently attached to the wall and forming pivot supports for the blackboard, counterbalancing means attached to the upper end of the blackboard and means for detachably fastening a map .or such like to .the blackboard, theparts being arranged and constructed as hereinafter more particularly described.

and later pointed out .in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings in which 2- Figure 1 is a front view of a blackboard constructed in accordance with my inven-' tion. 7

Fig.2 is a plan view thereof.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detailed vertical sectional view through the blackboard and looking directly at one form of bracket used.

Fig. 4; is a view similar to Fig. 3 and looking directly at the other form of bracket used.

Fig. 5 is a plan viewof one of the jam j brackets.

Fig. 6 is a side view'ofthe same.-

Fig. 7 is a vertical. sectional view at.77 Fig. 6.

Fig. '8 is a brackets which IEuseL side view of one of the rocker I Fig. 9' is a front view of the rocker bracket.

Fig. 10 is a sectional view at 10-10 Fi 8. I

' ig. 11 is an enlarged detailed vertical sectionalview through the chalk rail.

In the drawings like characters, of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

In connection with the following descrip tion, I wish it to be understood that the blackboard can be of any length, depending on the size of the'room and the requirements and that it can be attached to the wall of the room or .to any other solid support.

=1 representsthe wall of the room and 2 the blackboard which is adjustably' suspended from. the wall in a manner shortly described. The blackboard is formed from an open centered rectangular frame 3 in which I insert slate or such like sections 4 forming the writing surface of the board and these sections are reinforced at the back by applied battens or reinforcing strips '5 permanently secured at suitable spaced in-- tervals to the frame. A chalk rail 6 is permanentlysecured'to the lower part of the frame and is supplied withthe customary lengthwise extending chalk groove 7;

The blackboard is pivotally suspended from the wall by two sets of specially constructed supporting brackets, there being four brackets of the one type used and five of the other in the present disclosure. The

brackets 8 of the first type are shown best in Figs. 5, 6 and 7 and it will be observed that they present each a circular or disk like head 9 and a flanged base 10- and that the head isconnected by an adjusting bolt 11 to a disk like head 12 formed as part of a hanger 13. The hanger is fitted with two screw holes 14 and 15 and the disks have their adjoining faces'frictionally engaged, being held in contact by the bolt which forms and the bracket.

The second form of bracket-16 presents a cross groove 17instead of a disk head and in the cross groove I form a rounded pocket 18 for the urpose shortly described. It is also provided with'a flanged base19 similar tothatlO. v

. also a pivoted connection between the hanger 20 is a hanger provided with a V-shaped head 21 which rests in the groove '17 and the head isfitted with a tongue like extension 22 which rides in the pocket. 23 is a base plate formed as partof the hanger and pro vided with side notches 24: for fastening purposes. 1

In referring to Fig. 2 it w1ll be seen that I have used four of thevbrackets 9 with associated hangers and five of the brackets 16 with associated hangers to suspend the blackboard.

In actual practice the flanged bases of the brackets are permanently secured as by bolting or screwing to uprights 25 permanently fastened to the wall, while the base plates of the hangers are attached permanentlyto the battens 5, the bases 23 being screwed centrally to the rear faces of the battens while the hangers 13 are screwed through the openings 14L and 15 to the sides of the battens.

By observing Figs. 3 and 1 it will be seen that the blackboard is actually pivotally suspended from the wall by the brackets and hangers,the pivot'points being located just slightly to the rear of the longitudinal axis of the blackboard. At suitable intervals I connect to the top edge of the blackboard frame a plurality of cables, ropes or such like flexible connections 26 which pass inwardly toward the wall and over pulleys 27 fastened to the wall. The inner ends of the cables are supplied with counterbalancing blackboard and forming' a. pivot support, provide also of a friction adjustment as obviously one can by tightening up the bolts .11 increase orldecrease the friction at the joints.

By properly adjustingthe bolts onecan" set the blackboard to the preferred inclined positionand obviously the counterbalancing Weights relieve the engaged friction faces to aconsiderablefextent.

V The whole arrangement is such that one can very easily adjustthe board, such being possible throughthe combined-action ofthe jfricti'on faces and the counterbalancing weights. V

In order to allow of the easy attachment of a map or such like to the front face of the boajrd I have provided-a pair of hooked extension arms 29 and 30 on the top side of the board which aredesigned to receive the customary hanging-rings orhanging eyes of the map 32 and the lower bindingstrip 33 of the map is'caught beneath the spring clips 34 secured to the chalk rail and adapted to jam'the strip in the chalk groove as best shown in Fig. 11.

What I claim as my invention is 1. The combinationwith the wall of a.

room and a blackboard, of a plurality of horizontally alined hangers and brackets pivotally suspending the blackboard from the wall and withthe pivot point positioned to the rear of the longitudinal axis of the blackboard and with certain of the brackets and hangers presenting engaging friction faces. a V I 2. The combination with the wall of a room and a blackboard, of a plurality of horizontally alined hangers and brackets pivotally suspending the blackboard from the wall and with the pivot point positioned to the rear of the longitudinal axis of the blackboard and with certain of the brackets and hangers presenting adjustable engaged friction faces.

3. The combination with the wall of a room and a blackboard, of a plurality of horizontally alined hangers and brackets pivotally suspending the blackboard from the wall and with the pivotpoint positioned to the rear of the longitudinal axis of the blackboard and with certain of the brackets and hangers presenting engaging friction faces and counterbalancing means attached to the upper part of the blackboard. v

4. The combination withthe wall of a room and a blackboard, of a plurality of horizontally alined hangers and brackets pivotally suspending the blackboard from the wall and with the pivot point positionedto the rear'of the longitudinal axis of the blackboard and with certain of the brackets vandhangers presenting engaging friction faces and counterbalanced .welghts attached to the upperside of the blacl'cboard. V

5(The combination with the wall'of a room and a blackboard, of a plur alit of horizontally alined hangers and brac cets pivotally suspending the blackboard y from the 'wall and with the pivot point positioned to the .rear of the longitudinal axis :of the blackboard and with certain-of the brackets and hangers presenting engaging friction faces, a plurality of flexible connections attachedto the upper edge of the blackboard and passing rearwardly toward the wall and downwardlyover pulleys secured .to the (wall and counterbalancing weights secured .to the lower endsgof the fiexi'ble connections.

6. The combination with 'thewall of a room and a substantially rectangularjhori zontally disposed blackboard, of a plurality of brackets and hangerspivotally suspendingthe blackboard from the wall with the hangers attached to "the blackboard and with the brackets secured to the wall and having the pivot point of the blackboard located to the rear of the longitudinal axis thereof and certain of the associated brackets and hangers presenting engaged friction faces and provided With adjusting bolts for increasing or decreasing the frictional contact and a plurality of counter-balancing Weights attached to the upper edge of the blackboard.

7 The combination with a horizontally disposed pivoted blackboard and a grooved chalk rail located at the lower edge of the 10 blackboard, of a pair of suspension arms secured to the upper edge of the blackboard and a plurality of spring clips secured to and operating Within the groove of the chalk rail.

Signed at Brandon, this 8thday of March TOM MELLOR. In the resence of C. LAKE, A. C. GARDINER. 

